Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Teaching Graphic Novels in the Classroom
  • Home
  • About This Site & Author
  • Rationale
    • Tennessee Curriculum Standards
    • Statement of Rationale
    • Assessment of Need
    • Reviews
  • About the Author: Frank Miller
  • Before Reading...
    • What is a Graphic Novel?
    • History of the Batman
    • Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Character List
    • Prior to Reading and Preview Activities
  • Graphic Novel Summary
    • Book 1 "The Dark Knight Returns"
    • Book 2 "The Dark Knight Triumphant"
    • Book 3 "Hunt the Dark Knight"
    • Book 4 "The Dark Knight Falls"
  • Historical Context
  • Cultural Connections
  • Literary Explorations
  • Themes
  • Additional Resources
    • For Parents, Administrators, and Teachers>
      • Censorship Concerns
      • Works Cited and Consulted
      • Additional Resources
      • Downloads
    • For Students

Introduction to Graphic Novels and Vocabulary

What is a "Graphic Novel" ?  Let's start by viewing the comic below...
Picture
Courtesy of Drawing Words and Writing Pictures
Picture
Courtesy of Drawing Words and Writing Pictures

     Like comics, graphic novels tell a story through sequential art with dialogue and/or narration.  Graphic novels are essentially standalone stories with plots that are more complex.  They can also be comprised of a compilation of several comics that were previously published in separate issues.  Like traditional text, graphic novels come in a variety of genres and sub-genres, such as fiction, non fiction, romance, science fiction, action, and so on.  Batman:  The Dark Night Returns by Frank Miller falls into the action and superhero categories.  These tend to be the most popular categories, and go back to the oldest roots of graphic novels, which were originally comics published in small and separate issues.  The superhero genre in comic and graphic novels were made famous and controlled by mainstream publishers, namely Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse ("What Are Graphic Novels").   

Abel, Jessica and Matt Madden.  Drawing Words and Writing Pictures.  n.d.  Web.  4 Jul. 2012.  
       <http://dw-wp.com/>.

“What Are Graphic Novels?”.  Get Graphic.  Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, 2007.  Web.  4 Jul. 2012.
       <http://www.getgraphic.org/whatisagraphicnovel.php>.  



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